


Moonlight wings reflect the stars that guide me toward salvation

by maddiebug



Series: Africa by Toto [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Okay this is the last one, but opposite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 15:17:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21283832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddiebug/pseuds/maddiebug
Summary: "she's coming in, 12:30 flight," the previous story in this series, but from Mari's view.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Africa by Toto [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1530227
Comments: 15
Kudos: 26





	Moonlight wings reflect the stars that guide me toward salvation

_"Adrien, I love you."_

_He shook his head. "That doesn't make sense."_

_"We need some time apart." Marinette smiled. "Maybe this internship will be a good thing."_

_"But I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

_"So why can't this be a long distance relationship?"_

_"Those never work out. We should end it on a good note."_

_Adrien raised his eyebrows. "If we end this, it won't be a good note."_

_"Look, I like you."_

_"I like you too."_

_"Let me finish." Marinette waved her hand. "I like you a lot Adrien Agreste, but we're both kinda a mess."_

_"Agreed."_

_"I think we need to take some time to figure out ourselves."_

_"But I don't know who I am without you!"_

_"That's not a healthy relationship. We're codependent, have been since we were kids."_

_"That's not a bad thing."_

_"It is. We have to figure out how to function on our own for a while."_

_"I guess, but I don't want to break up with you."_

_"Then, once we can get our lived together, I'd really like to try us again."_

_Adrien placed his head in his hands. "I thought we were meant to be. Soulmates. Yin and yang."_

_"Maybe we are. But maybe we aren't."_

_"But the miraculous-"_

_"-The miraculous mean we make a good team. And we do." She frowned. "I just don't know if it's a romantic team."_

_"Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"_

_"Grow up." She bit her cheek. "That sounded harsh, sorry. Both of us are stuck in the past. It's impossible not to be, when I'm with you. We need some time apart to become stronger, independent people."_

_"Then we can try again?"_

_"I'd really like to." Marinette smiled. "And this internship is only a year long. Ill visit for holidays."_

_"Are you going to be okay?"_

_"Ill be fine."_

_"You've been acting weird lately. Emotional, weird cravings-"_

_"I'm fine."_

_Adrien pointed to her plate of half-eaten croissants. "Are you sure?"_

_"I think so." She looked down at her stomach. "I'm good."_

_He grabbed one of her hands with his. "I'll miss you every second."_

_"I'll miss you more."_

_Adrien smiled. "It's going to be a long year."_

_"You have no idea." As Marinette walked away, she smiled to herself. She really was going to miss that boy._

_And even though she had meant every word, wanted him more than anything, she knew things would never be the same._

_..._

Marinette didn't know what happened. Her one year internship became a job, and that became a career. 

She had meant to go back to Paris, as soon as the internship was done. She meant to rejoin Adrien. 

But life got in the way.

Marinette arrived in America, alone with her child. She wanted to call Adrien, to tell him that she had been pregnant, but she couldn't. 

If she told him, he would drop everything to help raise their child. And Marinette couldn't do that to Adrien. He deserved better than her. 

Gabriel Agreste had certainly made sure that she understood.

He funded her internship, paid for her apartment in America. She owed him. 

In return, she was not allowed to contact Adrien. No calls, no texts. Not even Facebook memories.

She had to ghost him. For his own good.

It wasn't easy, but she did it. 

After all, he had a new life. As soon as she left, he seemed to start dating Kagami. They never had real romance, but they were friends, and suitable partners. 

Marinette moved on, knowing that Adrien could be happy without her. 

She knew that if she told him about Emma, he would be burdened. He didn't deserve that. 

The only contact Marinette had with him was through Facebook. She saw all of his posts, but never liked them. He reposted memories that brought tears to her eyes. 

Her partner was doing great things without her. 

She saw as he rose through the ranks, going to business school, graduating from top model to training to be the CEO of Agreste.

He really was better without her.

He didn't need her anymore.

It was a horrible thing, keeping father from child, but it was for the greater good. 

And Gabriel controlled Marinette's life. He supplied her with a job, a home, monthly checks to keep quiet. He could have her blacklisted from the fashion industry. 

She had no other choice.

Gabriel Agreste wanted her quiet, and he always got what he wanted. 

Adrien didn't want to take over Agreste, but he would, at least, that's what Marinette thought.

The certainty, and her fear of Gabriel attacking, kept her from contacting Adrien.

Even after she saw Adrien stray from the chosen path, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Gabriel had too much power over her, but Adrien, it seemed, was free. He resigned from the company to teach primary school. 

Everything changed five years after she had left.

Gabriel died, of a heart attack. It was ironic. After his quest for greatness, his magic and power, he was defeated by natural causes

Emma was going to be entering primary school, and Marinette would rather go to help than let her child be taught by the American education system. Public schooling in America was a disaster.

Marinette was willing to throw her whole life away, everything she had worked for, to give Emma the best chance in life. 

Someday, maybe Emma and Adrien would be able to forgive her. 

She resigned from her job. She loved to design, but she had to go home. She had to go and beg Adrien for forgiveness. 

He would be furious, but maybe, maybe he would forgive her. 

He would love Emma, like a daughter, but he would be angry with Marinette.

It was all worth it for Emma. Gabriel Agreste be damned. Marinette enrolled her daughter in school at the school that Adrien taught at and bought plane tickets.

She didn't tell anyone, her parents, Alya, her co-workers, for fear that it would get back to Nathalie or whoever was in charge of keeping her secrets now.

She just got the tickets, resigned from her job and packed everything up. 

As Marinette rode with Emma to the airport, she frowned. 

It really had been an impulsive trip. She had no one to pick her up, Alya was certainly busy, traveling the globe to report, Nino had his dj gig in clubs at night, and her parents would be asleep.

Marinette took a deep breath and dialed a number she knew by heart, even though she had deleted it. 

She held her breath as the phone dialed.

"Hello?"

Marinette let out a breath. "Hey, can I ask a favor of you."

"I'm sorry, but who is this?"

She giggled nervously. It was possible that he had changed his number. The voice sounded like him, but phones distort voices. "Do you really not recognize me?"

The other voice paused. "Are you sure you have the right number?"

Marinette pulled the final card. If he wouldn't say her name, she was going to say his. "I'm pretty sure, I do Adrien. Look, I know it's been a while-"

"Marinette?" He gasped. 

She didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry I didn't call."

"I should've called you too. You weren't the only one who kept their distance."

He was right, but he was purposefully kept busy. His father had tried to distract him, to make him forget her. Marinette had only agreed to keep her distance for him. "But I started it."

Adrien hummed. "So why now? Its been a while."

She froze. What was this call? It was a stupid attempt at reconnection. She could turn around now and get her apartment and maybe salvage her job. No she made her choice. "Well, I wanted to let you know that we're going to be seeing a lot of each other soon."

"We are?"

"Yeah." She paused. "I'm moving back to Paris!"

He was speechless. "That's great Mari. I can't wait to see you."

"You won't have to." Marinette started to ramble. It really and been forever. Old habits die hard. "That's the thing..."

"What?"

"I kinda need a ride from the airport." She was blushing hardcore, just picturing him. When she saw him in person, it was going to be miraculous.

"Why can't your parents do it?"

"Its a really late flight. And they have to wake up early for bread."

"Early to bread and early to rise-"

"You really haven't changed much, have you kitty."

"You'd be surprised." He smiled into the phone. "Okay, what time does the flight land?"

She double checked the time on her ticket. "12:30."

"Midnight?"

She winced. "Yeah."

"Whoa. That is late."

Emma tugged on her hand, and Marinette remembered. "And, just making sure, you have two seats in your car, right?"

"Yeah..why?"

She wasn't sure how to phrase it. "I have a special friend with me."

"You do?" She could hear the edge to his voice. He sounded almost jealous, which was ridiculous.

"Yeah. It's someone who I want you to meet. Both of you guys are so important to me."

"Can't wait to see you and your friend." Then he hung up on her. 

Weird. But at least she had a ride from the airport. And she could talk to Adrien. 

That's what really mattered.

Marinette boarded the plane with her child and stared out the window. 

The shiny wings from the plane reflected the north star. The very direction Marinette was headed.

The stars were her guide, her guide to Adrien.

Maybe, once she found him and told him everything, they would be okay.

Maybe, she could revive their relationship.

Maybe they would be partners.

Maybe, he would bond with his child.

Maybe Emma would know what it would be like go have a father.

Then, and only then, would she be able to forgive herself.

She looked at the stars and sighed. Marinette needed to think realistically.

That was never going to happen.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so that last fic got a lot of Marinette hate, which was justified, but I thought I should provide some more insight into why she did what she did. No character is without their reasons, and it seemed like the best option to her. She was broke, jobless and Gabriel Agreste is a powerful man. I don't agree with Marinette's decision, but she felt like she had no other.  
Also let me know if I should write a part two from her perspective and maybe and epilogue/like a five years later.


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